Threadless lamp socket



' T. E. qARRoLL THREADLESS LA-HP SOCKET Fuzo, 1940.

Filed June 26, 1937 p Patented 174.511.720, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mnanmss LAMP socn'r Thomas E. Carroll, Bronx, N. Y. Appuoonon :one zc. 1931, sorua No. 150.511

This invention relates to improvements in electric lamp sockets and more particularly to threadless lamp sockets adapted to be used in conjunction with a standard electric lamp of the usual 5 screw-threaded base construction.

One object of this invention is a socket vfor receiving Aand securely retaining the standard screw-threaded base of an electric lamp without the necessity of rotating either the socket or the lamp. A f

Another object isv a socket adapted for the ready connection of electric appliances without .rotation of the connecting plug associated with said appliance.

Another object is a lamp holder of simple construction and positive operation which can be manufactured at no additional cost to that of the usual threaded type of lamp holder employed in the socket assembly now in common use.

Another object is a lamp holder of the punched type as above mentioned made from a single piece of metal.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawing comprising but a singlesheet of three gures numbered Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive,

l is an elevation of my improved socket assembly with a standard electric lamp engaged therewith, a portion of the assembly being broken away to show certain of the parts in section.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one form of my improved lamp holder, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of another form of my holder with a portion thereof broken away and-shown i'n section.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several gures of the drawing.

Referring to Fig. 1, lamp 29 is provided with a standard screw-threaded base 30, adapted to be secured by rotation in the well-known manner in a standard screw-threaded socket assembly.

In lieu of said standardl assembly however, I

provide Ya. socket assembly I0 including the usual outer metal shell II, insulating sleeve 2li, metal cap closure I2, insulating base I3, off-button I4, on-button I5, terminal strap I6, twin cable I1, and central contact I8.

An insulating washer I9 is placed between in- '50 sulating base I3 and my improved lamp holder punching 2I (or 3l, Fig. 3. which may be as a substitute therefor).

Holder 2| consists of an annular hub 22, from which radiate a. series of prongs including a plu- 55 rality of vsnrins: iingers 23 alternating with a plurality oi! grip ngers 24. Hub 22 and lingers -23 and 24 are all punched out from a single piece of metal, and the ngers 23 and 24 are thereafter bent substantially at right angles to the annular hub 22, so that hub 22 and ngers 23 and 24 in 5 conjunction form the lamp holder 2 I.

Fingers 23 and 24 are resilient, and the tips of .fingers 23 are inwardly curvedly bent at 25 to form spring contacts for engaging against the threaded grooves of screwbase 30 lof lamp 29. 10 The fingers 24 are longitudinally corrugated or embossed to form inwardly extending longitudinal ribs 26 which press against spaced portions of the surface of screw base 30'to retain said screw base iny nxea position. annular hub 22 is pro- 15 vided with a plurality of openings 28 for receiving screw bolts (not shown) whereby lamp holder punching 2I is secured to insulating base I3 o! socket assembly I0. The conjoint clamping action of spring contacts 25 of spring iingers 23, 20 and of longitudinal ribs 26 of resilient grip fingers 24, tend to clamp and retain screw base 30 and consequently lamp 29 in fixed position in the socket assembly III. Lamp Y29 may be'inserted and withdrawn from lamp holder 2l thus formed 25 by a straight in and out movement without any turning or rotating of screw base 30.

The annular hub 22 of lamp holder 2| may be provided with a series o! spacers 21 positioned between the several spring ngers 23 and resilient 30 grip lingers 24 (see Fig. 2). These spacers when provided tend to space spring ngers 23 and grip fingers 24 away from the inner wall of insulating -sleeve 20, thereby increasing the available outward travel of the nger tipslwhen screw base 30 35 is inserted therein. The lamp holderl 2| however will operate quitel satisfactorily even when the spacers 21 are notlemployed;

The inwardlybent spring contacts 25 of the spring lingers 23 may either be so adjusted as to 40 engage the bevelled side wall of the last threaded groove vof screw base 3l of lamp 2l substantially as shown at the left in Fig. lwhlch arrangement gives very satisfactory results, or the spring contacts 25 may if preferred be inwardly curvedly 5 bent at an oblique angle conforming substantially to the pitch of the threadedgrooves of screw base 30, to permit the spring .contacts 25 to engage within the uppermost threaded groove o! the screw base.

maybe provided merely with a plurality ot spring nngers 23alternatinwlthapluralityoignp55 ngers 24, or the grip fingers 24 may be omitted entirely with satisfactory results provided three or more spring lingers 23 having spring contacts 25 are employed to insure at least a three point contact.

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative form of construction wherein the lamp holder punching 3|' consists of a one-piece cylindrical shell 35 having one end bent inwards at right angles to form an inwardly projecting ange forming an annular hub 32 having a central opening 33. Hub 32 is provided with suitable openings 34 for receiving screw bolts whereby holder 3| is secured to insulating base I3.

A plurality of spring fingers 36 which may form an integral part of lamp holder punching 3| extend beyond the end Yof cylindrical shell 35. Fingers 3B are inwardly curvedly bent to form a plurality of spring contacts 31 adapted to engage against the threaded wall of screw base 30.

Cylindrical shell 35 may be provided with a plurality of corrugations to formA longitudinal ribs 38 corresponding substantially to the longitudinal ribs 26 of the grip lingers 24 of the lamp holder punching 2|. Corrugations 38 if provided should be spaced substantially midway between the spring ngers 36. Lamp holder 3| is preferably provided with at least three of the spring ngers 36.

What is claimed is:

A socket for receiving and retaining a screwthreaded lamp base comprising a metal punching; said punching including a disc, a series of spaced prongs merging with the outer peripheral edge of said disc and in continuationthereof, and a series of spacers projecting laterally outwards from the peripheral edge of said disc between said prongs, the central opening in the disc being large enough to spacedly receive a central contact electrically insulated from the disc and forming one electrode ofthe socket, said prongs being bent substantially at right angles to said disc at the line of merger therewith to form the other electrode for the socket and a holding clamp for a lamp base, the stems of certain of the spaced prongs being longitudinally inwardly embossed to form corrugations or ribs for engaging along the surface of the lamp base transverse the screw threads at a plurality of spaced points, the tips of therother spaced prongs being inwardly curvedlyt bent to form spring contacts for engaging spaced arcs of a threaded lamp base, and the spacers projecting from said disc between and beyond said prongs to retain them in spaced relation to the insulating shell of the socket.

. THOMAS E. CARROLL. 

